


open the sky

by wintersweather



Category: Polygon/McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF
Genre: M/M, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 19:46:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15541656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintersweather/pseuds/wintersweather
Summary: hold my hand harder, ease my mind





	open the sky

**Author's Note:**

> title/excerpt from "sweet talk" by the killers!
> 
> someone sent me an anon on my tumblr (easterntimecryptid) talking about this prompt and i HAD TO WRITE IT so i hope anon sees this and enjoys it <3

"Pat, calm down. There's no need to be nervous." Brian said, his tone soft. He glanced over at Pat in the passenger seat. "My mom already likes you." He added, smiling.

With every turn Brian took, Pat felt his anxiety grow and grow. He wasn't so good with meeting people, anyway. The stakes felt a little higher going to Brian's childhood home for the first time.

Baltimore was nice. The weather has been standard for late November, cool and crisp. Pat had on his best sweater and a pair of jeans without any holes. He has brushed his hair before getting in the car, but after 15 minutes of nervously fidgeting with it, he wasn't sure of it's current state. Worrying about it made him a fraction more anxious.

"And you've met Laura," Brian continued, eyes back on the road. "So that means that only leaves my parents. And Pat. And Moose." He smiled fondly, easing the car to a stop at a red light.

Pat nodded. "Yeah, everyone I'm worried about. What if I say something dumb during dinner and your parents hate me and tell you you can't date me anymore? Or-"

Brian's laugh interrupted him. "I'm 24, Pat. They can't forbid me from that. Anyway, they won't, because everything is gonna go great." He assured, pulling up to a small brick house. "And we're here!"

Pat took a deep breath and held it until the feeling of nausea subsided. This was it. Brian's parents, siblings. The people who shaped him into who he was.

It was a lot to think about.

Brian offered Pat no time for reflection, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car at record speed. He was already on the porch by the time Pat got out.

Brian rang the doorbell as soon as Pat caught up to him, and reached to intertwine his fingers with Pat's. Moose barked a few times before the door swung open.

It was Laura, beaming and trying to push Moose back enough to let them in. "Hi!" She exclaimed, pulling them both into a hug. 

Laura reminded Pat a lot of Brian. They were similar in looks and personality, and Pat felt at ease around her (despite her boundless energy).

"Who is it?" Another female voice called across the house.

"Brian and Patrick!" Laura answered, stepping back even farther and shutting the door behind them.

It was warm inside. The area looked cozy and welcoming, with mismatched furniture and photos in frames everywhere. Pat liked it already.

Moose was demanding attention, leaning against Brian's legs as he pet the giant dog and talked to him. It was pretty cute. Pat's heart skipped a beat.

"My boys are home!" The same voice from earlier said. A middle-aged woman with short, dark blonde hair entered the room.

"Hi, mom." Brian said, and Pat thought he sounded a little shy.

"Oh, you're not my son!" She laughed, loud and warm, when she saw Pat. "That's okay! My son in law!" She pulled Pat into a hug, squeezing tight.

Brian's cheeks were red. "Mom, we're not married." He said, chuckling in a self-conscious type of way that Pat wasn't used to hearing out of Brian.

"Not yet, anyway! He's even more handsome than in the photos!" She continued playfully, unrelenting.

Pat barely got a sheepish "thanks" out before Brian all-but-wailed for her to stop.

She hugged Brian next. "You know I'm just poking at you, Bri. We're glad to have you here, Patrick. I'm Janet, by the way." She said.

"It's really nice to meet you, Janet." Pat replied earnestly. Anyone who could get Brian (a shameless theatre kid) to blush was sort of a hero of his.

Things felt comfortable as they followed Janet back to the kitchen, where she an Laura had been peeling potatoes together. Pat and Brian both took up a peeler to help on the conquest.

"Pat should be here soon." Janet said, looking over at Brian.

Brian smiled, nodding his head. "Cool! I can't wait for the Pats to meet." He said, gesturing towards Pat with his peeler.

Pat was slightly anxious about that, worried he might answer a question directed at The Other Pat or something dumb like that. Sure, they could differentiate between 'Pat' and 'Patrick', but honestly? Pat would probably respond to both and inevitably ruin something. Or at least make things really fucking awkward.

Brian didn't seem concerned about it. Why would he be? Pat took another deep breath, willing himself to calm down.

It would be okay.

\- - - 

Dinner went better than Pat could have anticipated. It was established early on that _he_ would be Patrick for the night, which was okay.

The Other Pat was more mature, a little more serious than his younger siblings. He was nice, though, and as sharp as the rest of them.

Conversation moved fast at the Gilberts. They flew from topic to topic at breakneck speed, and none of them struggled to keep up.

Other than Pat, of course.

By the time he could form a coherent thought to speak on one thing, they were onto the next. Mostly, he just stayed quiet until someone addressed him directly. That was okay by him.

They asked him normal things, like where he was from and what his position at Polygon was. They also asked him things like his star sign and his favorite genre of books.

Pat's own family seemed like a bunch of sterile, quiet motherfuckers compared to the Gilberts. Pat figured most people did.

The cleanup from dinner went quick with everyone chipping in, and someone suggested a round of Cards Against Humanity. Pat won because Janet, the Czar, was easily amused and Pat was pretty okay at being funny.

Afterwards, The Other Pat turned on A New Hope and everyone settled down around the TV. Pat liked that, how they didn't turn on football or anything standardly Thanksgiving'y like that.

Brian folded up on the couch beside Pat, resting his head on Pat's shoulder. He was asleep halfway through the film, glasses still on. Pat tried to stay as still as he could in order to not disturb him.

Pat took a deep breath and let it back out, closing his eyes. Everything felt perfect, and Pat could only hope he would remember it forever.

**Author's Note:**

> my birthday is next wednesday and i can't believe the boys are going back to Celeste :")
> 
> also i wrote this all on mobile so if it looks whack,,, I Am Sorry


End file.
